Shattered but Unbroken
by Eastbound Traveller
Summary: What if Rose Quarts wasn't Pink Diamond? What if Pink Diamond had truly been shattered? But what if things didn't quite go the way everyone expected? Receiving a call from unexpected sources, what would the Diamonds do if there sister could be returned to them? Pink Diamond centred story with family and friends along the way.


**Chapter 1: Impossible Prologue**

"Hello, I'm… I'm… who are you?"

The voice faded, lights figured, frantic words were traded, but hope was alive.

Everyone kept to the task. Those with no skills for the mission still helped, shorthanded or not they would succeed. The loyalty for those who went to task was unquestionable, undoubtedly, invaluable.

Seconds of eternity later lights flickered again. Tongues were held, no one wanting to break their dream. It was an impossible task. If it was spoken, then maybe the reality of their inconceivable goal would shatter them. If there was anyone in the universe qualified to do this, they weren't here; they probably didn't exist.

If there was anyone who could do this, it was her.

"Hello, I… um, who are you?"

Hope splintered just a fraction.

* * *

Golden lightning raged crushing itself, destroying its godly icon in violent self-loathing.

Why did the Goddess give in?

She wasn't ready, and now the Goddess was to blame for her fate. For what had become of their family. But for a moment, the Goddess raised her hand. Thrusting the blame on the monsters, their lost sibling had been sent to rule.

Perhaps the Goddess would enjoy this. It wouldn't last, but it was the fate they deserved.

When the Goddesses lightning turned back to the true culprit, the one to blame for all of this. Falling upon her purpose would be all the Goddess could do to distract from her first and most terrible failure.

* * *

"Wow, so I'm-"

Sounds of scraping metal and breaking glass filled the air as darkness descended, the world shuddering.

There were fewer of them now, not that the voice could tell. Less people to talk to, to keep things going, to help. Despite that, hope persevered, cracked but still whole.

Lights flickered back on, distraught hands worked quickly, desperately trying to fix things.

"Oh, hello!" The voice rang out, some strange feeling making it accept unsaid facts, but still, it seemed confused. "Who are you?"

Hope fractured a little more.

* * *

Crushing weight broke the idol, drowning it in an ocean of what had passed. What now is.

What if the Goddess had helped her?

What could have been, if the Goddess had only listened?

It had been inconceivable. In a place where such fragile things persisted could one of their own… The Goddess had told her not to worry. That all she had to do was to be seen, that what the monsters did couldn't harm her. That her subjects would fall into line, the monsters would be no more. Smile and wave instead of running back to the Goddess.

Sit in danger instead of coming back to safety.

Raising her hand, the Goddess focused away from her sadness into her rage. Trying yet failing to escape the depths of her despair, wanting those monsters to feel the crushing weight of what they had done. What they deserved.

The Goddess didn't even notice that the tears the rest of the pantheon shed were not from her sadness. The monsters had taken from them something precious to compare. All Goddesses wept, even those who thought it an impossible feat, yet no subject questioned their anguish. None questioned their wrath.

* * *

"That sounds like so much fun! I bet Yellow must have been furious, I can just imagine what… I…. Hmmm, sorry, who are you? I'm-"

The power died again. Centuries ticked by with the light flickering, taunting her with the chance, the idea.

They had to last longer. There was only a handful of them left. It couldn't all be for nothing. She HAD to be getting better.

But then the lights would turn on. She would look straight through them. Ask those same questions, again and again.

Through the pain, through tears, her best friend would reply. Hope dwindling that this would be the last time she had to watch her world drift away.

…

Then metal would tear, falling away. When the dust settled, they would notice fewer of their dwindling number remained.

Hope was now just the black tears running down her face as she told her best friend who she was again.

* * *

Perfection was flawed, marked, the marble pillar cracked. Yet despite an eternity of shining glory, the Goddess couldn't bring herself to care.

This was never supposed to happen. This wasn't their roles. Grieving was meant to be a stranger to them, death inconceivable, loss unknown. Their reign was meant to be a glorious white light shining brighter than any star through to every world. Younger members of the pantheon critical parts of her, uniting to be her equal.

Now there was just an empty throne, in a room where none of them could go.

Casting her mind past the countless years, the Goddess remembered what she did for her youngest. Hiding her mistakes and outbursts, wishing only to let her keep the picture they had crafted. The image she had earned.

What if she had been allowed to shine sooner, long before monsters came to snuff out her glorious light. It could have been brilliant. It would have been spectacular! Far beyond anything that could wish her harm.

Instead, they set her role. The pantheon coddling her to her death as much as the monsters. The Goddess and her sisters would punish themselves. It wasn't something even her white light could prevent. They would suffer for this.

But at the very least… for her… they could do this.

And so the pillar of perfection raised her hand.

Together the pantheon's light shone, crashing down on the planet that deserved to be smited.

And so, the monsters, the so-called crystal gems, were no more.

* * *

Millennia passed.

"So I'm.."

The slowest years ever recorded.

"And you're.."

There were only two of them now, they wouldn't last much longer.

"And we're…"

But she must keep going. It had gotten better, more painful, there was hope.

"Oh, this will be so much fun!"

A beaten, shattered, yet unbroken thing.

"Do you think they've missed us?"

So in one last act of defiance, the message was sent; it had to reach them now.

"I can't wait to finally meet them!"

* * *

In a palace of perfect light, the Goddess managed her subjects. Watching as they worked in unparalleled unity. It was a good distraction. Not that it worked.

Every second of thought, each minor reward, all the moments of quiet joy felt hollow. To the point that even her own light felt dull. It was like they had all fallen into the depths of some unbeatable darkness, stifling and suffocating them.

A beeping distracted White from her inner demons. A call on the diamond line? Strange, it had been thousands of years since Yellow had contacted her directly, longer for Blue. Dismissing away the creeping panic of losing another sister, White answered the call.

"Ye-"

"WHITE," no, it couldn't be. "I CAN'T TALK LONG, IT'S ME PINK, DIDYOUMISSME? NO, NO TIME FOR THAT NOW, COME TO THIS STAR SYSTEM INEEDHELP! TELLBLUEANDYELLOWISAIDHI, PLEASECOMESOON, WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU BYE-"

…

…

…

Could it…

...

Spreading her light out, White took to her avatar.

"Ready a full contingent for travel immediately," the Gems in the core startled at the unmistakable voice of the authority.

"Wh-White Pearl!" They saluted. "We didn't see you enter- I mean, of course! We will have the Gems assembled immediately, who will be leading this mission, which ship should we gather at?

"White Diamond shall be leading this mission personally," the pearl monotoned as the gems stared at her cracked eyes in disbelief.

Within minutes, the ship that hadn't moved from homeworlds surface for aeons shot across the sky.

Torn, White allowed herself a small glimmer of… something.

If this really was Pink…

She dared not think further. But if it wasn't, whatever trickster sent this message would regret impersonating their pantheons lost star. They would regret it indeed.


End file.
